Let it burn
by Darkening grey
Summary: They become best friends, then ex-friends, and now he is unsure where the line runs. But he knows, as Tensa Zangetsu, that things are bound to change. Secrets will be revealed, sparks will fly, and somewhere someone is bound to get scorched by the inferno. Undecided Grimmichi.
1. Chapter 1 - Resurfacing Memories

A/N: Personally, I tried to write GrimmIchi till my teeth fell out, but in the end I decided maybe this pairing need not be romance. Well…I'm not too certain to add the love factor.

So, let's see how long my story can last, shall we?

_It was cold, And dark. And so, so lonely. Yet he spotted this little blue boy, sitting near a glowing glorious flame, enjoying himself. Young Ichigo felt so jealous, his mood turning grim. Why was it this boy, was never worked in the fields nor hunt in the woods, had everything when he had none? _

_Then, said boy turned and locked gazes. Ichigo's eyes narrowed, as his thin frame took on a subtle aggressive stance. Was he going to beat him up, punish him with his guards? As Ichigo knew, all nobles were so high and almighty…He would be razed to the ground._

_Then, in utter desperation, he inclined his body into a forced bow, lowering his gaze._

_"Good evening my lord."_

_He was prepared to turn, to run from the spiteful words borne to be aimed at him, to flee the cruelty of this world. Yet, the blue boy shook his head of teal and gave a smirk._

_"Call meh Grimmjow, and come! The fire's warm."_

_Blinking, little Ichigo was in a state of shock, freezing, Then, he was faced with that face lit up by…Excitement? Joy? Something propelled him to sit next to him on the log and stretch his frigid hands out. _

_"Thank you…" He rasped, his voice rough from the bitter lashing of the cold. The weird young noble just grabbed his hand and shook it REAL HARD till it hurt, but to Ichigo it was nothing. _

_"What's your name? Is your hair natural?" Grimmjow asked, beaming. Ichigo did not know whether to give his full name, which had so little meaning or…the name that was swiftly gaining its worth in the underworld._

_He decided that this..Grimmjow…deserved to be informed the lies._

_"Tensa. Tensa Zangetsu. And yeah, it is." He said, meeting the eyes of the other boy. _

_"Wow…Cool name. Your family's one?" Ichigo's gaze faltered._

_"They're dead. I made my name up." The hard truth and the subsequent lies was delivered so emotionlessly, so coldly that one would have flinched. Not Grimmjow, however, who would become something special to Ichigo. Not just a noble, not just a friend, but the one who he would form the strongest and also the most fragile bonds with._

_They became best friends, for three years._

* * *

To date, when Tensa Zangetsu strode towards his charge's room, he could not forgot Grimmjow. He knew that his former friend, now revealed to be the sixth prince of the kingdom of Las Noches, was still somewhere out there. WIth his thoughts reaching that point, he sighed deeply. Grimmjow's insolence had landed him in this position, where he was taken away and snatched from his best friends after 3 years. Now, he admitted that his heart had been frozen over, and hardly anything could touched the glacier. No love, he was told, no love will ever reach you.

He was the infamous "Darkening light", the one person who fought for the kingdom even though he belonged to the underworld. Or so they said, when he was captured and forced to accept this position.

Scowling, Tensa knocked on the door of his Very Important Person - First Princess of Karakura, Duchess Inoue Orihime.

He was her personal guard. And today, he was bringing her to the royal school for the first time. But first, he needed to get her out.

"GOOD MORNING DUCHESS INOUE!" He raised his voice and knocked on her door, suppressing the urge to slam her door open. The faint "Morning, Tensa-kun!" was hardly decipherable in the wake of the mass shuffling of clothing. Pinching his nose, he reminded her to wear something decent enough to cover her huge breasts before running off to prepare his bag. Somehow, he ended up having to tag along. Mentally ready for the physical and mental battering from the nobles, Tensa hurriedly ran to "receive" the Duchess and send her…quite fast indeed to school.

Soon, Tensa had no choice but to employ magical powers (oh, the sarcasm) to reach their school.

Carrying the Duchess's luggage, he followed behind her, hood covering his bangs and face as a sign of someone of lower status. Many were probably staring, he mutely noted, noting the students's incredulous glare.

"We're here, classroom 1-S!" Duchess Inoue exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Silently, the group of students noticed her and made way for her to pass. Then, finally spotting the inferior, they sneered and closed the path. Tensa, however, had already passed them at lightning speed and set her bags down on her seat.

"Duchess, I will depart for a few moment. Please rest and be ready for lessons." Muttering it to the Duchess, he did not give as much as a sidewards glance as he slicked past, heading towards the hall. His mission in mind was to register her room first, then somehow find a place where he could stay for the whole year. It was probably the storeroom or something…but that was better than nothing.

* * *

"Thank you…" The service staff stated, eyes piercing at his frame. He knew what they were implying and left hastily, rushing for class which already started. Oh well…The teacher would gut him, and that was the worst first impression ever.

Never mind, he was destined to be the loner.

With quiet contemplation he knocked on the door, pulling the black hood further down.

"You may enter." The teacher almost snarled, and he opened the door.

"Sorry." Then, as he was ready to choose that last seat at the corner, someone behind grabbed his hood and pulled it down. Instincts kicking in, he restrained himself as he spun around.

His jaw dropped at the sight of baby blue. For a moment he was lost in his memories, as the target of his thoughts stood rigid in shock.

Then, logic returned and slapped him, hard.

"I apologise, Lord…Jaegerjaquez." Pausing for only a moment, Tensa bowed a full ninety degrees and walked calmly to his seat. The teacher shot him one last cold glare before nodding and _smiling evilly _at Grimmjow. No, Lord Jaegerjaquez, he corrected himself.

"This year we have two new students, please welcome Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Inoue Orihime!" Applause was heard, and quietly Tensa followed suit. Something in him snapped and died, as he knew, he would never get to be friends with Grimm-Lord Jaegerjaquez again…

* * *

It was frustrating, and the tension in the air was too thick. Everyone was waiting for someone to break.

It was all because of him, sitting in the classroom, He wished he could run real far, but duty called for him to grit his teeth and observe his charge from across the room. She, he concluded, was great at making friends and gaining tons of admirers. Every moment, he would ensure _nobody_ did anything _weird_ to her, but it was difficult. Good thing the teacher ignored him…

Another problem was Lord Jaegerjaquez, who kept glancing at his outrageously-orange hair and occasionally attempted communication. The thing was, he was not allowed to, and his ex-friend seemed not to be mindful of that. It came to a point that he had to quietly remind the bluehead right next to him about his predicament. That shut him up…for a while.

Finally, his patience was smarting. Once in the while someone had to glare at him, and it took everything of his being to not snap under the pressure. He knew, he just hated it…but he held on the control he had mastered for ten years. It worked, yet it made him too edgy to concentrate. He was supposed to fail under the orders from his superiors anyway…Needing to act stupid, however, grated on his nerves.

In the end, he could only withstand the weight of the world until break time, when he literally sank down in relief. However, Lord Jaegerjaquez just had to turn and face him…

He already hated the first day.

"Tensa…Follow meh won't you?" Lord Jaegerjaquez said a little too loud, and he could not do anything but agree. Following him, Tensa gave a sideways glance to the Duchess, before continuing to a corner. They stopped there, when Lord Jaegerjaquez gave his trademark smirk and asked him he dreaded all these 10 years.

"What happened to you?"

Tensa leaned on the wall, and unconsciously clenched his right hand into a fist.

"…A lot. Lord Jaegerjaquez-"

"C'mon, can't you at least call me Grimmjow?"

"…I'm afraid not, Lord Jaegerjaquez."

* * *

Glancing him at the corner of his eyes, Grimmjow stared at the man he once knew so well. It was said by his father that he was "eradicated", and Grimmjow had screamed for 10 days afterwards over the loss of his friend. He could not understand why that optimistic boy had been exiled for friending a noble and turned into a cold man. Hell, Tensa even gave a vibe similar to Ulquiorra, the fourth prince and his indifferent brother. It was as if something changed him entirely, and those eyes…Oh those eyes. They lost their twin fire, to be replaced by a pair by icicles.

Also, from the aura this…statue of his friend, he could feel the power coursing under that mask of his. He had seen, with awe, that ferocity the long black sword of his could convey before . Now, in contrast to the time when they were on uneven grounds with the advantage on Grimmjow, the two of them seemed almost on par.

Then, it hit him, the thing that would potentially bring back the true Tensa Zangetsu.

"Meet me after school, we're going to fight." With that, Grimmjow turned and left, letting his triumphant smile ghost over his lips.

Tensa was coming back, whether he wanted it or not.

* * *

Please review on what you think of this story, I really appreciate your feedback! :)


	2. Chapter 2 - Mind exercises

**A/N:**

**A big thanks to DEMONIC BLACKMAGIC, terrynow, ****cyro12, nivea1992**** and Shadow Wolf Fang for liking and/or following this series, I'll promise not to disappoint! **

**So…some things will be clarified along with the story, including what happened in those 10 years and other questions you might have so HOLD YOUR HORSES! **

**And now, the story.**

* * *

Lord Jaegerjaquez's words made him freeze in his train of thoughts, allowing said carriage to crash and derail beautiful down the bottomless abyss . At that tear in time and space, he was lost momentarily in his memories, frozen in the tracks of time. Hitting the replay button, a piece of his locked-up emotions stabbed the seemingly-invincible glacier of his heart.

A crack opened, and he closed his eyes. Then came the slip.

"You should know more than challenge me, Lord _Grimmjow_." Tensa mumbled, his head inclining upwards.

The hood slipped off...

* * *

Suddenly Grimmjow was faced the long lost face of his friend…and one of a stranger. The right eye remained a molten brown, almost amber, and glinted in the flickering light from the faulty oil lamp near them. Yet…the left eye was covered by a dull eyepatch, and a jagged scar ran from the patch to the chin, marring the already-wrecked face. The exact long scar impended the left edge of his lips from moving, forcing the mouth into something akin to a deformed smirk.

Unable to meet the lone eye of this warrior next to him, he looked downwards, taking in the sight of the more than flattering-looking light armour he was wearing. It was as if he had just charged from a battle field, when ironically he was attending school. All that muscles taut from constant training was accented by the tightly-clad outfit. To his hip bone laid the one thing Grimmjow knew Tensa trusted the most - His beloved sword named after his last name. It was the only thing there that reminded one that Tensa had not really change, and to that thought Grimmjow had to smile.

Still, that period of observation was over when Tensa's hip shifted. Grimmjow looked up to see the hood draped over that head of crazy-coloured hair.

That crazy-ass grin came back at full force.

"It's _Grimmjow_, you dumb-ass." He snarled playfully, lightly punching Tensa on the shoulder. Tensa's face, however, spoke of displeasure at that action. Sliding his eyes to the side, Grimmjow noticed the many pairs of eyes glaring at the weird duo.

"Bring it to private, _Grimmjow._" Tensa whispered. In that split second, Grimmjow almost widened his eyes as the all-too-familar grin flashed, the lips pulling back to revealing the brilliant teeth. Before he could confirm it, however, Tensa quietly turned and walked away, back facing him. Perhaps it was the sad, lonely feeling it gave him, for Grimmjow had this perception that his friend was bearing the weight of expectations in public on him. Shaking his head, a tiny sense of gratefulness welled up in him. Somehow, Tensa managed to stop him for ruining his reputation, although he would have done so for the sake of being with him.

"Thanks." Saying it to no one in particular, the prince also went on his way, the spot they occupied just moments ago devoid of the shadows of their figures.

* * *

The door slammed open, swung violently on its hinges, and slammed shut in one swift motion.

Tensa had ran from Lord Grimmjow-Ja-Whatever like he was on fire, attracting too much attention for his liking. At least he had escaped that hell-hole with his brains intact.

No, now he needed to find a quiet corner and ponder on the given situation. Sighing, he splashed some water on his weary body and sneaked out of the toilet to the classroom. Mildly surprised it was empty, he slipped to the back seat and picked a rather-mundane History book to read.

Never mind, he had that to pretend he was reading while he began to think.

Lord Grimmjow's behaviour was understandable, and to Grimmjow probably totally acceptable, but to Tensa it was not in the face of the crowd. He had learnt his lesson well, not to mess with people of the upper class. Also, they were technically a kingdom apart. Karakura had fairly good relationship with Las Noches, with them sealing the deal with a inter-kingdom marriage. Still, the obvious difference in where their loyalties lie. It was like they were world apart…

Thinking of Las Noches, a bitter anger welled up in him. A reminder from the past made itself painfully known.

_Flashback - 10 years ago_

_"Such a reckless scum…" The words were spoken by a malevolent tongue, fake smile on deceiving lips. Ichigo tried to stand up, but the words stung so much he hung his head in defeat. _

_"Guards, send him to Karakura, they will certainly appreciate this __**criminal**__ to do their dirty work." Ichigo's eyes snapped open and he glared intensely at the man in front of him. Where had he seen him before…But before he could connect the distant dots, a heavy weight struck him on his head, and his body crumpled to the ground. Darkness welcomed him._

_End Flashback_

His eyes flashed, his fists balled, and he gnashed his teeth. He just had to slip at that moment, just had to! And now…his 10 years of service of Karakura had been called to an end. He had rose through the ranks painstakingly, to be released. Was it a great event to celebrate or one to howl in rage at, he was not too sure. Thing was, King Aizen (he spat the name out in his mind) had the gall to extend an invitation to join his army, and it seemed like refusing spelled a world of trouble.

His world was bad enough to begin with.

So...Here he was, trying to make sense of his situation and come to a decision. Furrowing his brows, he was so lost in thought he lost track of time, until he was startled to note the teacher had entered the room.

The bell rang, the rest of the royals returned, and ever so resignedly he placed the book down.

* * *

Classes began again. Damn.

History classes were a pain, concluded Tensa, as the teacher continuously praised the successes of the two kingdom. It's all utter baloney, lies formed for the sake of glory. No one knew the backstage like him, when sometimes they covered up for huge losses on their part. Blame the egoistic glory-hogs who paint far-fetched tales to boost their reputation, their fake stories turning into truth for the children of the nation.

Still, there was a grain of truth in every piece of baloney they spawned. History lessons gave the main background stories on the current ruling powers in both kingdoms. Karakura was the one being explained by the teacher right now, where the former king was overthrown by sheer force. Two of the many royal families were locked in a power struggle, and the stronger one (Shiba) prevailed, claiming the throne. However, as the Shibas did not bear a heir, they had to place the daughter of another royal family in line of the union-wedding between the two. Hence, Duchess Inoue had her place in the kingdom elevated.

Los Noches had a more chaotic past, where more than ten warring fractions fought tooth and nail to triumph. Such was the great war known as the "Hollow Bloodshed", which lasted until recent years. King Aizen rose in power and finally affirmed his place as Supreme King. Hence, a treaty was signed, dictating that each of the remaining ten parties would place their heirs under the wing of King Aizen, forming the group of princes and princesses infamously called the "Espada". It was unclear where all these 10 lords originated from, but it was somewhat understood their ranking hinted at their power in deciding the fate of this kingdom.

Now, you might be wondering what Tensa's role in the kingdom was. Simply put, he was one of the many soldiers in Karakura's army, and he dared to say one of the best. Despite the numerous victories and missions he had accomplished, the recognition reached only his superiors. Still, he had no choice but to fulfil their tasks in order to retain his position. It was tough, yet he was already lucky to have secured a much better living quarters then the slums of Karakura. Over the years, however, some folks started spreading the news of his hidden existence. This steadily pushed his reputation to sky-high limits, and soon many recruits were vying to be fighting alongside the powerful "Darkening Light". Many generals loathed him, but said nothing as compensation for the tons of freshman volunteering into Tensa's fleet of warriors.

Yet now…He had received his notice of dismissal just days ago, asking that he leave on the break of dawn three days later. When he was first enlisted by the ruling powers of Karakura, he signed this contract which would guarantee him 10 years of service. Once that was finished however, he was supposed to flee such grounds. To the 10 years old version of him, that was his only wish.

10 years, on foresight, could change a person very much.

Standing on the platform of fame he had built with sweat and blood, his view of the world had changed tremendously. Right on this very spot, he was even reluctant to leave the security of his current-life. True, he was frequently sent on "life-or-death" missions, but he grew up and lived with risk his whole life. It was in him, and in fact he kind of lived to challenge the normality of life. His ale purpose on Earth was to clearly defined, but one thing was certain: He would bypass the limits set by others.

Coming to here, Tensa absent-mindedly wondered about the new prospects of the upcoming change. Should he return to the streets, most of the syndicates would either gladly extend a hand or be vying for his blood. True, he had saved many criminals from capture, but he also caused a equal number of them to fall under the iron grasp of law. Or, he could bolt all the way to_ King_ Aizen and bleach his whole uniform white (why not?). Of course, if he had not loathe him already, he would have done so. That baka respected power and class above all, so it was considerably easier to join him…

Whatever, wait until class was over…Noting the silence reigning in the classroom, Tensa blinked and refocussed at the front. The male teacher was glaring at him with this poisonous look and waving slowly at him. Hmph, it was not as if he was half-deaf or something…

"Yes, sir? I can see you." Tensa decided to push his luck for once, and since he was supposed to leave after 3 days, he realised he'd better make full use of it. The rest of the lords and duchesses pointed accusing looks at him.

"You…idiot! Lowly scum! You do not even listen, son of a-" Just when the teacher started spewing profanities like his whole life was weighed on that, the chair was pushed backwards and collided with the wall with substantial force. After a short moment, it was pulled back in once more, the silentstudent taking his seat. The teacher, obviously confused, turned behind.

The class turned deadly silent. No one really moved, and then under the hood Tensa's lips curled into a triumphant smile. The short paragraph in response to his earlier response was written out in plain sight on the board, crisp and to the point. Thing was, he calculated he took a mere 10 seconds to _will_ himself to the blackboard and scribble the whole condemned chunk of data from memory and return to his seat.

Astonishing? Expected. Leaning back, he allowed his smile to be seen under the slip of the raised hood.

Now, who said he was not listening?

* * *

**I know this is an abrupt end, but sincerely I have entirely no idea where to stop! :p **

**Anyway, I am not really satisfied with this one…Maybe some reviews on it on how to improve?**

**Thanks for all, Sa-yo-na-ra guys!**


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